Port Phillip Bay Circuit
Follow the Bayside Beaches Drive to Portsea, then take the car ferry from Portsea to Queenscliff. Return to Melbourne via the Bellarine Peninsula on the western side of Port Phillip Bay. On the way you will pass through the beachside towns of Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and Torquay, the peninsula towns of Portarlington and Queenscliff and the City of Geelong on Corio Bay. It's quite a lot to fit into one day (it is best spread over a couple of days) but can be done if you have a limited time for sightseeing.
This trip commences at Station Pier at Port Melbourne and follows the coast all the way to Point Nepean on the tip of Mornington Peninsula. Making for a pleasant day s drive, the route passes the suburban beaches of Port Melbourne, St Kilda, Brighton, Sandringham, Mordialloc, Mentone, Edithvale and Frankston. Upon reaching the peninsula there is plenty of higher ground and a few lookouts to stop at and take in the views across Port Phillip Bay. The bayside townships from Frankston onwards all have cafes that serve lunches and afternoon teas. The peninsula is a trendy place to live, so the quality and variety of the food on offer is excellent.
Take the car ferry from Portsea to Queenscliff. Return to Melbourne via the Bellarine Peninsula on the western side of Port Phillip Bay. Pass through the beachside towns of Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and Torquay, the peninsula towns of Portarlington and Queenscliff and the City of Geelong on Corio Bay.
Highlights and activities that can turn this drive into a 2-day trip: chairlift ride to the top of Arthur s Seat at Dromana; Mornington Peninsula wineries; ride the Bellarine Peninsula Tourist Railway (Sundays and school holidays only); visit the historic Fort Queenscliff on Shortland s Bluff and nearby lighthouses, cliffs and the Rip View Lookout on Point Lonsdale; visit the surfing beaches or scuba dive the waters of the marine National Park off Point Lonsdale; view the mangrove swamps of Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve; walk the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve or Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary; tour Victoria s Open Range Zoo at Werribee.
Distance: 210 km
Point Nepean, near Portsea
